Chair bed



J. D. BELL Aug. 31, 1943.7

CHAIR BED Filed May 16, 1940 wardbed position. a v I A iurther object :of the invention ,is to ,pro-

Petented Aug. 31,1943 l v v it tibia-hit (01.5mm The pn sentinvention relates to improvements m in chair-beds, and this application is a continu atlon'in part of my .copending application, Se

rmimmber-eoases, filed December-"1a, "Hie tgener'allobject of the invention islto pro-' videimpmv'ements in a chair bedconstructed in such a manner that! it maybe conveniently -oper--' ated by an occupant between dhairand bed posh i time by the mereshiftihoiweight of the body oif the occupant.

More particularly itdspropo'sed in the present invention, to arrange the chairzin suchta manner that it may be changed from a 'ohainintoza bed withoutcausing the rear edge to protect rearwardly very far beyond its original rear plane. This feature allows a of the character de scribed to be placed withits top rear edge relaa tively close to the wallhofa room and to be changed into a bed without the neoessity loi'mov ing the chair bed asa' whole."

It lsrturther proposed in the present applica tiun to providewa chair bed comprising a 'main supporting frame and a movable frame structure including rigid back and seat sections hinged together and means for supporting the tramestructureon the" main frame with freedam of floating movement between chair and Another object of myinvention isto' provide a peculiar link mechanism was a support forthe movable frame structure, the said mechanism a1 lowing the .back section torrock on an intermedlates upport when the upper end ofthe back is pressed downwardan'd, 'at the same time; exerting "a forward pull .on the backsection', whereby the entire movable =frame is pulledoiorward to vide an improved supporting means for :theseat causing the latter to advance and rise to a position uof alinement withktheback section'as the latter is tilted and lowered into horizontal ;:P0 sition. e l 1 it And finally, itis proposed to provide yielding locking means, for the seat ,subbpitting means rarranged imsuch ,a inariner, that, in .coii'ibiriation with *thebacl; supporting means;itpactggto-ghold' theh'ing e between the back andthe seatfagainst collapse.

F e was nd were t mar-1m tion wili'appear as the specification-proceeds, and the novel natures-er y their will h set 1011111 in the'claiins heretoeppiid ed a "rne rei mq mr s =0! invehtio? trailing tratedi'in theraccompanmn'g drawingyin whioli: i 1

modified ilar to that of Figure 4;: but' showing the ele-' ments inbedposition;.afid t Figure :6, a 'view similar to that of Figure 3;

but showing thelin'k mechanism asa mere mechanical movement. a 3 r l i r While "I have sliowntonly the prefeiredforrhs of my invention, I'wish to have it understood that *vaniou'swchanges or modifications maybe made'within :the scop'e' otthe: claims hereto at? ked witnoutieeparting: from the spirit or the invention. i H

Referring to 2 adaptedeto serve as rarm rests' for 1 an occupant ora chair and end members 3 andfl, one in the rear. L01 the frameand the other in Athe front r The front member is shown asabeing slightly preferablysupportedonshortiegs 5; 1 it V The movableirame structure v6 comprises a back'frame 1 and aseat'framet; thetwo frames higher than the rear member, and the frame .is

beinghinged together as at 9, for swinging move ment between angular and alined positions. Suitable upholstery IOL covers the entire movable framestructurecirom-end to end and moves with the same, the upholsterybeing oonstructed t-o furnisha perfectly smooth surface 'in 'bed position'and to throw an inwardlyturne'd told, as r at II in chair position. .t

The structure of 1theiiipholstery is substantially the same as that disclosed in my"co pending applioation 'serial Number 309,855, above re ferred to.

An-extens'ion 12 issnormally hou'sed underneath 3 the seat and is hinged to the front edge thereof;

as at t3, and issprovideduwith folding legs M adanted toib'e accommodated between the exten: siorr-and the bottom: of the seat" section in chair It is apparent that upon lifting the frontedge I ofithe seatpthe extensionmaybeswung outward into alinementwith thevseat; andth'e legs'may be swiinggtoutward into l'supp'orting (relation with) operating portion in la further modified the drawing in detail, Figure 1 shows .a, mainframe] rcomprising side members 1 I the front edge ,of the extension, substantially in the manner shown in slightly modified form in Figure 3.

For supporting the movable frame structure,

I provide a pair of links I5 pivoted to the lower portion of the main frame near the rear wall thereof, as at I6, and to the back section along a horizontal line intermediate its height, as shown at [1. When in chair position, as shown in Figure 1, the link I5 projects about half way above the rear wall 3, and leans against the latter, andthe back section is free to tilt on the pivot I'I, While the link itself is free to swing forward on its pivot I6. The weight of the seat, the

front edge of which rests on the front wall t,-

through the extension I2, normally prevents such forward movement.

To insure forward, movement, uponthe tilting back ofthe upper part of the back section, I provide a link mechanism includinglinks I8, I9 and 21). The link I8 has its lower end pivoted to the mainframe near the bottom and the front thereof, as shown at 2 Land the upperend of the; link is connected, through the link 20, to the lower end of the back section near thehinge 9.

The link l9 interconnects intermediate points of links I5 and I8, as at 22 and 23. The. link It is curved in itsupper. end so as to allow the same to be swung. forward sufficiently far for the purposes of the present invention before striking'the front wall 4, on which it comes to rest at the end .of the forwardmovement.

It will be noted from Figure 1, that in the position indicated, the link I9 forming, a brace between the two links I5 and I8, prevents rearward movement of the latter, which, through the link 20, holds the lowerportion. ofithe back against member for pulling the entireunitforward when the upper end of the backis tiltedbackward.

At theend of the forward movementthe link I8 comes torest on the front wall 4, and the link I5 swings forward sufficiently far to cause the back section to come to rest on the rear wall 3 in horizontal position, substantially as shown in connection with a modified form in Figure 3.

' In the form of, Figure 1, the chair bed is shown as being positioned relatively close to a wall 24, and the link mechanism for this chair is arranged to allow the extending operation to be carried out without moving the chair. I

Theform shown in Figures 2 and 3 differs from that of Figure 1 insofar that it provides for a lower seat and requires a cushion to bring the seating surface to normal height in chair posi-': tion. In-this form, the front wallJ-l' is considerablylower than the rear wall 3, and the seat 'is supported by ashoe or bracketffi having an extended inclined front face and a'substantially flat bottom 28, which has a downwardly projecting ridge 29, preferably V-shaped in cross secshoe against movement in either direction. This hold is not positive, like a locking means, but

will offer sufiicient resistance under given conditions for the purposes of the invention. If a positive lock is desired, a stop 29' may be added curve and is not called upon to do any supportc attached to the back through a slot ii to allow a certain amount of play,

I In ordinary chair postion, the links I5 of this form, may rest against the back 3 or lean forward I slightly, the weight of the seat preventing forward movement of the lower end of the back section. andlthe links It, I9 and 2d preventing rear ward movement thereof. As the upper end of the. back is tiltedbackward, the lower end moves. 7

forward and the links I8, IS'and 28 cooperate in dragging thepivot Il forward until the back section comes to rest in a'horizontal position with v ward'in the manner previously described.

It is interesting to note in connection withthe bed position of Figure 3,: that in this form the problem of holding the hinge against. downward collapse is solved without the provision of a direct support at least as far asv normal use. isconcerned. The linksI8', I ii and ZEliZ'may be disregarded as supporting means, and the hinge itself is held solely byithe link I 5 cooperating with the back, wall 3 on one hand, and theshoe'cooperating with the front wall, on the other hand.

If a person lying on the bed should concentrate all his Weight on the hinge, he would still b'e-unable to cause the hinge to collapse, for the following reasons: In collapsing, the hinge would have to pass between the pivotal points I I and 29, and one of these points would have to yield. The ridge 29 would not yield because the weight of the occupant would tend t'o'intensify the engagement and point I? would not yield because it would have to move upward against the weight of the occupant. This-presupposes, of course, that an occupant, in concentrating his weight on the hinge, would exert pressure on an area on. both sides of the hinge. If a weight were applied exclusively on the hinge, the pivot I I. might move upward and cause the bed to collapse."

The link I5 and theback wall 3 cooperate in preventing the hinge from moving upward, and I since the engagement of the ridge 29 in the groove 3| prevents rearward movement of the bottom of the shoe,,i t is apparent that a person may sit on the extreme projecting end of the seat without causing the hinge to buckle upward.

To change from the position of Figure 3 to that of Figure 2, it is merely necessaryto lift the projectinggend'of the back, which will raise the pivot bed.

groove 3| withfor the purpose of operating the extension.

whenthe upper end of the back is swung rearward and through the fourth link pulls the first link forward. i

3; In a tiltable back rest, a supporting base, a

link having one end pivoted to the base, a rest connected intermediate its top and bottom to the other end of the link and tiltable thereon, means for normally holding the rest in upright position to serve as a back for a chair, asecond link having one of its ends connected to said base, a

third link connecting intermediate portions of d the two links, and a connection between the free When the seat isswung back, the slot automatically reengages over the pin 32. It will be noted that in all forms shown the operating mechanism is arranged in such a manner that the seat is always free for upward swinging movement to give access to the extension. i

It. should be understood that throughout th specification, where the term link has been used in the singular, this has been done for the sake of simplicity, and that, in reality the same link mechanism is used on bothsides of the chair Iclairn:

1. In achair bed, a main frame having a front supporting member, a seat having a shoe depending therefrom, the shoe havingan inclined face slidable on the supporting member for raising the seat when it is advanced, and a notch in the supporting member and a V-shaped projection on the shoe engageable in the notch for] opposing movement of the seat when it has reached a desired advanced position. 2. Ina chair bed, a main frame, a back and a :1"

seat having a hinge connection between the same and means for supporting the back and seat on i the frame in chair position, comprising two links,

each pivoted to the mainframe near the bottom thereof, one in the rear and the other forwardly thereof, and both rising from their pivots, the

rearone substantially vertically and the front one with a slight rearward incline, a pivotal connectionbetween the free end of the first link and the back intermediate its height, a third link connecting the free end of the second link and the back near the bottom thereof, and a fourth link connecting intermediate sections of the first two links, wherebythe second link is swung forward end of the second link and the lower end of. the rest operable, as the upper end of the rest is tilted backward from its normal position, to bodily draw the latter forward in immediateresponse to d the backward tilting movement.

4. In a chair bed, a main frame, a back, two

links, each pivoted to the main frame near the bottom thereof, one in the rear and the other forwardly thereof, a pivotal connection between the free end of the first link and the back intermediate thelatters height, a third link connecting the free end of the second linkand the back near the bottom thereof, and a fourth link connecting intermediateportions of the first .two

links, the back being operable for tilting rear ward by manual pressure applied rearwardly at the top thereof, to draw forward the intermediate link and to be moved forward bodily by the said operation, a seat having hinged connection with the back and means for mounting the seat with freedom of movement in response to the movements of the back. j 1

5. In achair bed, a main frame, a rearwardly tiltable back, two members, each pivoted to the main frame near the bottom thereof, one in 't'he rear and the other forwardly thereof, a pivotal connection between the free (end of the first member and the back intermediate its height, a third. member connecting the free end of .the second member and the back near the bottom of the latter, and a fourth member connecting intermediate portions of thefirst two members, the 

